Salvation Army to kick off Angel Tree program

November 21, 2011

In addition to putting red kettles at locations throughout Hutchinson County, the Salvation Army is also gearing up for its Angel Tree program.
The Angel Tree lets individuals and partnering corporations personalize a gift for a child or senior citizen in need by adopting an Angel and purchasing gifts for that individual.
This year, the Angel Tree program in Borger will run from Friday, Nov. 25 through Monday, Dec. 19, at Walmart.
Those represented on the tree are from families who have previously applied for Christmas assistance through the Social Services program of the Salvation Army.
After choosing an Angel and purchasing the gifts, the Angels are returned to the Angel Tree location and distributed to the families during the Salvation Armyâ€™s annual Toy Shop.
Angel Tree Toy Distribution will take place on Dec. 21-22 from 2-5 p.m. at the Borger Salvation Army Store.
The program began in 1979 in Lynchburg, Va. It involves the community by directly allowing them to become personally involved through sharing with those less fortunate in their community.
It provides gifts of new clothing and toys to thousands of children throughout the nation who otherwise might not have anything for Christmas.
Home foreclosures have risen, job losses have increased, and prices for everyday necessities have gone up, contributing to an increase in the number of families needing help from the Salvation Army during the Christmas season.
For further information on adopting an Angel, sponsoring an Angel Tree at your location, or other volunteer opportunities, visit the local Salvation Army at 1090 Coronado Circle in Borger or call 273-2491. Kristin McGee is the Service Center Director for the Borger Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army of Texas can also be found online at www.salvationarmytexas.org, twitter.com/SalArmyTX, and facebook.com/Salvation ArmyTexas.
Secure donations can be made online at www.salvationarmytexas.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.